WHALE HUNTING WITH GUN AND CAMERA 



appeared and when the whales again rise to the sur- 

 face are quietly swung about until the gunner gets 

 a fair shot. 



If the harpoon misses, which often happens in a 

 choppy sea, the gun is again loaded and the line hauled 

 in with the greatest haste. Instead of being fright- 

 ened by the report, the whale's curiosity is usually 

 aroused, and an opportunity for a second shot is soon 

 given. 



When a bottlenose has been hit, the harpooner im- 

 mediately twists the line several times around the 

 puller, the steersman makes sure that the rope is clear, 

 and one of the oarsmen hoists a flag to signal the 

 other boats or the ship to stand by in case of acci- 

 dent. 



The whale usually dives straight downward at tre- 

 mendous speed and has been known to take out five 

 hundred fathoms of line in two minutes. At such 

 times, no matter how carefully the harpoon rope may 

 have been coiled in the stern, there is great danger 

 that it may run foul or get entangled. If a knot is 

 formed, the line must be cut instantly or the boat will 

 be dragged under water. Not infrequently the line 

 gets looped about the body of one of the sailors and 

 the man is either killed or loses an arm or leg. 



When the bottlenose reappears after the first rush, 

 usually he is almost exhausted and lies quietly at the 

 surface spouting frequently. A second boat then tries 

 to get near enough for a shot or to thrust a hand 

 lance into the whale's lungs. 



Like all cetaceans, just before the bottlenose dies 

 260 



